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DIPCHAND L. KHIANRA
1913—1986
Dipchand L. Khianra was born on 13 October 1913 at Thathanagar, some miles offKarachi, in Sind Province—then part of India. His mother hailed from a very staunch Hindu family. His father was from Arya Samaj and he had his business in Bahrain. Dipchand had one sister.
From his childhood, Dipchand showed an aversion to rituals and ceremonies. In accordance with a Hindu custom, at the age of 12 the sacred thread ceremony—something like Baptism in Christianitywwas performed on him. In those days these ceremonies would last for 10 to 12 days. However, the very next day after the ceremony, Dipchand removed the thread from his neck and cast it away in the river, saying: “This thread is not going to protect me from evil, but it will always keep me away from Muslim and Christian friends”.
Dipchand had his primary school education in his native Village. He had not as yet acquired even the matriculation standard when his father passed away. After his father’s death, Dipchand had to look after his mother and his sister, with the help of one uncle. His love was exemplary: to his mother he was a promising son; to his sister, a loving brother.
For his secondary school education, Dipchand went to Karachi and stayed with his maternal uncle. After passing his Secondary School Examination, he accepted a job as teacher in one of the schools. His mother and his sister came to live with him. For higher education, Dipchand attended
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830 THE Bahá’í WORLD
DJ. Sindh College in Karachi. It is here that he developed his love for Persian and Islamic culture.
At the age of 22, he married a simple, noble woman named Devki; though not educated, she proved to be a good Wife and mother.
In 1937, he received his master’s degree in linguistics, with Persian as his principal subject and English as his secondary subj ect. In 1957, he obtained a Vidhwana Degree in Hindi. Finally, he could read and write as many as 14 languages, and could speak a total of 19, including Sanskrit. He had command over Persian, Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu, Sindhi, Gujarai, and other Indian languages “Persian and Arabic being his favourites.
Dipchand mastered Persian poems and could recite hundreds of couplets by Hafiz, Sa’di, Rumi, Firdawsi, ihalib, and many other famous Bahá’í and non—Bahá’í poets. He could quote a couplet or a poem most appropriate to the occasion. Because of his rich repertoire, he came in contact with a number of Persians who loved to listen to him for hours. What surprised them most was that a man from a Hindu background had mastered this language so well. They were even more amazed that he could quote verses from the Holy Qur’án from memory with ease and felicity.
Among the Persians Dipchand associated with was Isfandiyar Bagtiyari, whom the beloved Guardian had addressed as the “Strong Pillar of the Faith in Pakistan”. Mr. Ba1_{_htiyari’s simplicity, and his love for Baha’u’liah and the Bahá’í Faith inspired Dipchand’s quest to investigate the Faith, and he eventually embraced it in 1942. He thus became the first Bahá’í of a Hindu background in the Sind commnnity. He always introduced Mr. Ba_kh_tiyari as his
spiritual father. Dipchand became a member
of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Karachi and represented Karachi at the 1942 National Convention.
With the partition of India in 1947, Dipchand’s family was given shelter in the
Bahá’í House in Karachi. Later, his wife took six of their children to Nasik, in Maharashtra, India, to stay With her mother and sister. The Professor stayed in Pakistan With one son, his mother and sister, but he always Visted Nasik when he went to India to attend a meeting of the National Assembly.
Professor Khianra finally left Pakistan for India in 1952, making Bombay his home. He joined Jai Hind College as the head of the Persian Department, and also taught Islamic Culture to post—graduate students at Bombay University.
With his arrival in India, Dipchand’s responsibilities for bringing up his children and looking after their education increased manifold. Nonetheless, he took great interest in Bahá’í teaching and consolidation work and did it with love and zeal. He had made study his regular habit; he studied the Holy Writings thoroughly and counselled friends to do likewise if they wanted to serve the Faith.
Professor Khianra’s service to the Faith included membership on National and Local Spiritual Assemblies, and on the New Era School Committee. He taught in Gujarat, and in the tribal area of Dang. He was an official translator in most summer and winter schools as well as translator to prominent Persian Bahá’ís Visiting India. He taught at summer and winter schools, his favourite subjects being Bahá’í history and the lives of Baha’u’llah, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He often wrote articles which appeared in Bahá’í newsletters and magazines in various languages. He also wrote a book entitled Immortals Which gives an account of some early believers in India.
In April 1973, the Universal House of Justice honoured Professor Khianra by appointing him a Counsellor for South Central Asia and, later, with the formation of one Asian zone, as Counsellor for Asia. During his ten—year tenure as a Counsellor he travelled far and wide. While on his second Visit to Afghanistan, his wife passed away in Bombay.
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IN MEMORIAM
His travels to Bangladesh,Nepa1, Sikkim, Sri Lanka and various cities of India are memorable and historic. He occupied him self Wholly in spreading the Faith and I
deepening the believers. His delight in meeting the friends was much the same as a father feels on meeting his children. Friends felt happy to meet him; they were inspired by his sincerity and the eatholicity of his spiiit.
To whichever place his travels took him, Professor Khianra tried to meet all of the friends. He recited prayers and tablets for everyone and explained their meanings; he remembered so many prayers and tablets that people were amazed. His presence enlivened meetings and whenever there was an opportunity, he regaled friends with verses in Persian or Urdu. People fe1t joyous in his company.
He corresponded with Bahá’ís in many lands, and he had a treasure-house of Bahá’í books from which he recounted very important and inspiring things to Bahá’ís, exhorting them to serve the Faith. Being a tine and self—respeeting man, he did not have much of an attachment to the world. He led a simple, honest life and encouraged his children to do likewise.
In 1978, the Universal House of Justice invited the Counsellors to the Holy Land, and Professor Khianra participated in the International Convention in Haifa. He was ever thankful to God for fulfilling his longfelt yearning. From Haifa, he went to him, visiting @iréz, Iṣfahán, and Tihran. Later, he was able to Visit the Holy Land a second time.
His health began to deteriorate in 1984. He kept up his studies, as well as some correspondence, but at last, on 1 June 1986, this gallant soldier of Baha’u’llah abandonea his physical garment and ascended to the spiritual world. He was 72 years of age. He was survived by four sons and three daughters, of whom two sons and two daughters were Bahá’ís. The Bahá’í Gulistan in Bombay is his resting place.
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Dipchand Khianra
The passing of Professor Dipchand Khiam‘a deprived the Bahá’í community of a true friend, a noted Bahá’í historian, an abiding Counsellor, and an illustrious championbuilder of the Faith.
On 2 June, the Universal House of Justice sent the following message to the National
Spiritual Assembly of India:
HEARTS SADDENED PASSING DEVOTED STEADFAST PROMOTER CAUSE GOD DIPCHAND KHIANRA. HIS DISTINGUISHED SERVICES FAITH DURING PAST DECADES AS LEARNED TEACHER CHOSEN MEMBER BAHA’I INSTITUTIONS UNFORGETTABLE. ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERING VARIOUS STATES INDIA BEARING TESTIMONY HIS UNTIRING EFFORTS PROMOTION CAUSE. ASSURE RELATIVES FRIENDS LOVING PRAYERS PROGRESS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM.
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA’I’S OF INDIA
